Uber and Lyft must improve access for disabled riders, advocates say

Posted by phedllc on Nov 10, 2015 in Blog | Comments Off on Uber and Lyft must improve access for disabled riders, advocates say

09/09/2015

The conference Andy Arias planned to attend on a recent weekday was less than a mile from his apartment in downtown Los Angeles, but he called an Uber to stay out of the oppressive summer sun.

As Arias approached the sedan, the driver saw that he was in a wheelchair. He recalls telling her that he could slide into the back seat on his own, and she would only need to stow the folded, 10-pound wheelchair frame in the trunk.

But she refused to get out of the car. Eventually, a bystander lifted the wheelchair into the trunk.

“It was a teachable moment, and that’s putting it gently,” said Arias, an actor in his late 20s, who has cerebral palsy. “I’ve met drivers who were surprised or shocked that I was in a wheelchair, but you can’t just refuse to help.”